Cover for toilet flush tanks



May 5, 1953 P. E. DOEBLER 2,637,360

covFR FOR TQILFT FLUSH TANKS Filed Feb. 7, 1951 40 INVENTOR P4a Ei 00554512 ATTORNEY Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED .STATES TENT orties GVER FR y TOLET .FLUSH TANKS ParilEfDoebler, Mcnroe, Ohio Applicationil'ebrnary '7, 195.1,".Serial No.1209883 (Cl. G-52) t Claims. 'i

This .invention .relates to a coverliora toilet vnosh-tant::for the purpose oi eliminating moislturecondensation on the .exterior .of the tank 'andthe .resultant dripping of the moisture there from.

it is the -ohect of the present invention to `provide a cover .fora toilet flush-tank iorrnedof a waterproof fabric sheet-ing which is adapted to be mounted around the lateral walls of the tank in aloose manner to provide an insulatine layer of air around the exterior oi the tank in order to eliminate condensation of moisture either on the exterior of the tanlr or on the cover, resulting from the filling of the tank with cold water in a humid or Warm atmosphere in which the tank is disposed.

It is another object of the invention to pron ide a cover for a toilet flush-tank of plastic fabric or sheeting which may he clear, colored or vpatterned to 1elend in'with the ornamentation of the rest of the bathroom in conformity with the ensemble ei'ects generally obtained by the 'window and shower curtains in a bathroom, in order to carry out more completely the desired ornamental efects, while effectively arresting any dripping of condensate onto the bathroom floor, which gives rise to unsightly puddles on the floor and eventual damage to the floor or floor covering. lt is another object of the invention to provide a cover o plastic sheeting' which may he applied to the lateral walls of a toilet nosh-tank in a ruiiled or state, without any speeialtools or special connections. The cover extends neatly around the lower part of the and at least beyond the'npjoer level oi the water `in the tank in order to eliminate condensation of moisture-on the tank exterior arising from the entry oi cold water thereinto.

It is another object of the invention to provide a iinsh tank cover of plastic sheeting which is economical and simple in construction, which is adapted to nt tants of different sizes, which is readily intereha; eahle-,to verf/'the ornamental effects in the room and wliieh may be laundered for repeated use as easily as are shower and window curtains.

The invention proceeds upon the principle of mounting cover of plastic sheetingv aroundthe three lateral exposed Walls 'of a toilet iinsh tank, which cover rnlierl alone" longitudinal diinensions by seing strungon a pair of horizontally extending elastic tapes. The elastic tapes may he stretched between the upper and lower ends of vertical anchor Wires which may be held onto the side walls of the tank by suction cups, in close adjaeenc-y to the 4building -wall against which vthe @tank .is mounted. rThe .upper tape, preferably-extending @along a ilevel .above yheading on the cover whichisvadapted toernbrace the three peripheral edges oi' 4the bottom of the flush tank 'ino'rderthatthe'ruies may extend to the bottom wall (Ji-thetaim without showing the lower tape. -Avariable 'stretchingcf .the elastic tapes permitsthecDVer' to snrrcundftanks of different dimensions. Theoonsequent-ruling of the plasticfcover results in-an irregular dead air space of :smallextent between the'eover and the lateral Walls of ith'e `flush tank., whichl acts `as Yaninsulatirre; layerbet'weenthe cold water in the tank and the atmosphere, as a "result of'which no condensation may take 'place either yon lthe eX- -terior of the :tankf-or'on thecover'withthe subsequent dripping4 of -moisture therefrom.

Other `objects `and `purposes will appear "from ythe detailed descriptionof the invention folle" ing hereinafter, taken in 'conjunction with the accompanying '.drawing, wherein:

Fig. `l is a front lView of `a 'toilet 'flush 'tank having the "cover in accordance with 'the -invention monntedthereon, with `a fragmentary portion of thec'overand tank-broken awayinforder to show 'the feiiiective 'eld of operation of `the COVeT;

Fig.'2 is a right :end View of Fig. l;

Fig. f3 yisa hottom'view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 lisfa .'front'elevation 'ofthe face of the lcover lookingfnponthe'sidethereof which is'a'djacent `to "the toilet lu'shtank;

Fig. 5 is a :vertical sectional view along 'line 5--5 of Fig. l'tos'how 'on'a'n enlargedrscalea preferred mode of attachment oi theen'dsof the `coverito'the toilet flush-tank; 'and Fig. 16 is avertical sectional view along 'line '6-6 0f F`g.4.

In'the'drawings is shown atoilet ush-tankT, which 'may lbe "of -"conventional construction, pro vided `witha ywate'i"inletpipe "I and an outlet pipe -O in the bottom thereofifor the purpose of 'nlling it withwater up 'to a'water level'L as 'controlled by a conventional float 1"', and discharging the water Vthrough "the 'pipe 0, as V'controlled by a handle "as 'is nommen in such plumbing 'fixtures.

In warm and humid weather, the entry of cold water into the tank causes a condensation of the moisture in the surrounding atmosphere on the exterior walls of the tank, which under humid conditions results in a dripping of the condensate from the exterior walls of the tank onto the bathroom iioor. Many expedients have been tried to eliminate the untidiness resulting from this dripping, and resort has been made to absorbent pads or pans on the exterior of the tank, or insulating liners on the interior thereof. However, these have proved both expensive and ineffective.

In accordance with the applicants invention, a cover C of waterproof fabric, preferably plastic sheeting, is bloused or ruffled onto the three exposed sides of the tank in order to form a heat insulating air layer around the parts of the tank on which condensation normally takes place,

whereby the cold water on the inside of the tank 2 peripheral dimensions of these walls of the tank.

Upper and lower headers I3 are formed on the yplastic sheeting by folding over the upper and lower edges thereof and heat sealing the ex tremities of the folded edges with the cover at seams I3'. Lateral headers I4 are likewise formed at the lateral ends of the cover by the heat sealing of the seams I4'. Vertical wires I5 are extended through these lateral headers I 4 and are looped near the opposite ends thereof at I 'I to embrace the bases of suction cups I 6 thereat. The ends of each of the wires I5 are formed with eyes I8. An elastic band 20 is passed through the upper header I3 and is attached to the oopositely disposed top set of eyes I8. This attachment may be by stitching I9 or in any other suitable manner. Similarly another elastic band 20 is passed through the lower header with the opposite ends thereof fastened to the bottom set of eyes I8 by stitching I9 or otherwise. The length of the cover is in excess of the length of the tapes 20 so that the cover may be strung on the tapes with a ruffled or bloused effect even when the tapes are in extended position as is the case when the upper tape is passed around the three external walls of the tank, and the lower tape is stretched around the bottom periphery of the tank. The cover is mounted on the tank by aiixing the anchoring wires I5 on the sides oi' the tank in close adjacency to the building wall W by means of the suction cups I 6 and by simply stretching the cover around the tank through the intermediary of the two elastic tapes as described above.

Since the upper end of the cover is below the handle I-I and the lower boundaries of the cover merely surround or overlap the edges of the bottom of the tank, no cut-outs for any of the plumbing fixtures need be provided in the cover. The same may be detached from the tank very easily by simply disengaging the vacuum cups.

The cover may be washed while the same is in operative position or may be detached for washing with or without the removal of the anchoring wires and vacuumvcup retainers therefrom.

In view of the low cost of construction of the cover, the same may form a component part of bathroom ensembles for interchangeable use with different sets of shower and window curtains of different colors and patterns.

While I have described my invention as embodied in a specific form and as operating in a specic manner for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

I claim:

l. A cover for a toilet flush-tank formed of a continuous sheet of waterproof fabric adapted to extend around the exposed lateral vertical walls of the tank, seamed headers along the upper and lower edges of said cover, elastic tapes extending through said headers, said tapes being of shorter length than said cover whereby a ruilling effect is imparted to said cover to produce thereby an air space between the cover and the vertical walls of the tank, and means for anchoring the opposite ends of said elastic tapes onto the extremities of the lateral walls of the flush-tank at different levels thereof.

2. A cover for a toilet flush-tank formed of a continuous sheet of waterproof fabric adapted to extend around the exposed lateral walls of the tank, seamed headers along the upper and lower edges of said cover, elastic tapes extending through said headers, said tapes being of o shorter length than said cover whereby a ruiiling effect is imparted to said cover, seemed vertical headers at the opposite ends of said covers, a wire extending through each of said vertical headers, suction cups retained by said wires for mounting on the ends of the lateral walls of the tank, and fastening means between the ends of said tapes and said wires.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said fastening lmeans comprises stitching on said elastic tapes embracing the ends of said wires.

4. A cover for a toilet flush-tank formed of a continuous sheet of plastic fabric adapted to extend around the exposed lateral walls of the tank, coalescently seamed headers alongr the. upper and lower edges of said cover, elastic tapes extending through said headers, said tapes being of shorter length than said cover whereby a ruffling eifect is imparted to said cover, coalescently seamed vertical headers at the opposite ends of said covers, a wire extending through each of said vertical headers, suction cups retained by loops in said wires for mounting on the ends of the lateral walls of the tank, and stitched fastening means between the ends of said tapes and said wires.

PAUL E. DOEBLER.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,119,072 Cohen May 31, 1938 2,527,418 Harrington Oct. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 340,341 Great Britain Jan. 1, 1931 

